Leavenworth WA

Thursday June 14th: We drove over the Mountains over WA-2 to a small ex-logging town, Leavenworth, which decided to remake itself into a Bavarian hamlet rather than die as the logging moved on from their area. They have very strict rules that each building WILL look like a Bavarian building. This is complete with murals/paintings on the walls, flower boxes on balconies, mode of dress of the store owners and employees, food, and nutcrackers. We strolled around town and looked in the windows or walked through the door. Of course we also did some wine tasting and had lunch at "King Ludwig's" - Jaegersnitzel and Weinersnitzel each, completewith Spaetzle. It was a very pleasant day all in all. Drove up to snow line on the trip over there and small snow spritzes several times. Coming back we dropped south toward I-90 and were surprised to top through one pass and find ourselves back in a desert with sage brush and prairie grass and sand. The rain must all get sucked out by the mountains and leaves eastern Washington looking like New Mexico.